Gennie Litchfield Murphy and Chrissy Sladen McCormack,  co-owners of Admins and Errands.

 “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” – William Penn

Time is precious. Gennie Murphy learned that lesson the hard way while spending the final days, hours, and minutes with her father, Ray Litchfield.

When the medicine could no longer fend off Ray’s heart disease, Gennie and her family found themselves hunkered down and huddling close to their hero. In those final days, no one wanted to leave his side. But there were errands to run, plans to make, and little things--- that make a difference--- to be done.

Enter Chrissy McCormack, Gennie’s best friend from high school, who, with a brilliant smile and nurturing nature, has the unique ability to turn the stressful tide from high to low. She came in and took over so that Ray’s family could concentrate on what was important.

“I went in and said to Mrs. Litchfield, I’m not going anywhere,” Chrissy recalls. From that moment on, she cared for Gennie’s four year-old daughter, Lilly; ran to the grocery store; and even picked up the gift certificates that Ray wanted to give to his family while he still could.

On October 28, 2010, Ray Litchfield passed away. Nothing will change the hurt and loss that Gennie and her family feel, but they are grateful that someone came in to run the house during the final days, giving them the time they needed to say good-bye.

In the days following his passing, Gennie stepped in to coordinate funeral arrangements, paperwork, and lawyers--- putting to use all of the organizational and business skills she had learned as an administrative assistant at a Boston-based investment management firm and as a project administrator at a South Shore proxy management services company .

Chrissy, too, who had worked as the personal assistant to the CEO at multiple investment and commercial banks, leveraged her ability to manage people and schedules in high-pressure situations.

So, it is no surprise that these two friends and moms (Chrissy has a 4-year old son, Aidan) who attended the private secretarial school Katharine Gibbs together, decided to merge their expertise into a full-service company.

The duo had been bouncing the idea around for years, but this past September they finally launched their dream business: Admins and Errands offers everything from office services (typing, filing, bookkeeping, presentation preparation, etc.) to event planning and personal and home services including grocery shopping, dog walking, and even elderly services in the form of companionship, errands, and light housekeeping.

Gennie, who loves the office work aspects of the business, acts as a virtual assistant to clients, while Chrissy helps people succeed in life or their career by taking over the nitty-gritty details that often distract or bog them down.

Bill Glavin, CEO of Oppenheimer Funds and Chrissy’s former boss says it is her “how can I help you” personality, her professionalism, and her work ethic that wins the respect and admiration of everyone she deals with, from co-workers to senior management to members of the Board.

Don Dunaway, a Board member and Trustee of Kemper/Scudder Funds in Naples, FL., agrees that Chrissy has  an ability to make anyone she is dealing with feel that they are truly a Very Important Person. “Chrissy has the warmest, most delightful ‘what can I do to help you’ personality I have ever encountered,” Dunaway says. “She backs that up by always doing more than she promised, faster than she committed.”

Currently, Admins and Errands is welcoming new clients on the South Shore. You can visit their website for a full list of services, but McCormack and Murphy are quick to point out that if there is something you need that they don’t offer—such as food preparation and delivery—they have a strong network of business partners that can step in, as well.

Ultimately, Admins and Errands is a much-needed support system. “When I worked full-time I was always thinking about what I had to do,” Gennie says. “If I knew of someone I could call to check the house or run to the post office, it would have made a big difference.”

The kind of difference that Chrissy made for Gennie and her family back in October.

Truly, it is the small stuff that matters----as we all find out sooner or later. And, Admins and Errands can help. “It’s about giving people back the time they need,” Chrissy says.

For more information visit Gennie and Chrissy on the web at:  www.adminsanderrands.com

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil